Elixir
by sostaystrong
Summary: A tale of secrecy, betrayal and romance, Hermione Granger is thrust into the world of fiery love affairs before she can protest, leaving her friends behind as she falls for the snake with the compelling blue eyes.
1. Eyes

In my entire life, there was only one boy that had ever looked at me the way that beautiful girls got looked at by boys. Viktor Krum. Through the duration of his stay at the time of the Triwizard Tournament, Viktor saw me as more than just Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's best friend who happened to be a girl; he saw me as Hermione Granger, the girl who'd captured his affections. To be seen in that light was something so extraordinary and yet so peculiar all at once. Since then no one had ever looked at me like that.

Except in the exact moment in which I was boarding the Hogwarts Express on the first of September of my sixth year. As I stepped off the platform and onto the step of the train, a few cars down I saw him watching me, intently. It was as if he noticed something new in my appearance, yet I hadn't changed much over the course of the summer. But he stared at me, long and hard, until I disappeared into the train, leaving him behind on the platform.

That was the first time Draco Malfoy ever truly _saw_ me.

"Hermione?" Harry said, catching my attention, which had been stolen away by thoughts of confusion and dismay. I looked up at him with a blank, lost look and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you alright?"

"Never better." I lied, breathlessly. I prayed that he would let it go then, and he did. He slid open the door of the compartment we sat in every year and him, Ron and myself all piled in, sitting down on the cushioned seats.

"So, another year at Hogwarts. Who do you reckon will bite the dust this year?" Ron asked, breaking the silence after a few moments. I whipped my head to the left towards Ron and I smacked him hard on the arm.

"Ronald! You cannot just make jokes about death, that is completely ruthless!" I reprimanded him. Ron shrugged and stared at his lap.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to keep the spirits high, Mione. We had such a great summer. I don't want it followed by a shit year." He explained. He was right. The past few months had been great, with no distractions and nothing to worry about. All of us were silently hoping for an equally relaxed sixth year but none of us dared to say it aloud in fear of jinxing it. Ron, however, obviously had no consternation.

We rode the rest of the train ride in silence, but I didn't mind. I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to carry a conversation anyway. All I could think about was Malfoy, and how he'd looked at me as I had been getting on the train earlier. It wasn't his usual stare of spite and pure disgust. In fact, I would've preferred that look to the one of adoration he'd given me. Malfoy was too complex to just be admiring a girl. There was something hidden behind his eyes, something that worried me more than most things in this world.

When the train stopped at Hogsmeade Station that evening, I didn't see Malfoy when I was headed towards the exit to the platform. But he saw me, from the next car where he'd apparently been sat the entire ride. Harry came up behind me, noticing him before I did, and he put a hand on the small of my back.

"Don't look into the next car, Hermione." Harry warned. I turned to look at him and though his voice and facial expression seemed calm, I could sense that he was afraid of something.

"What, why not?" I asked. I turned back, hoping to get a look into the next car. Harry grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him, pulling me in close so he could whisper in my ear.

"Malfoy is staring in here. He's got something planned, Hermione," he said quietly. I opened my mouth to disagree but he placed a hand over my lips, muting me quickly. "I will take care of him. You and Ron go with everyone else, I'll be right behind you."

"Harry, you don't have to do this. You'll get hurt for no reason." I said, but it was too late. Ron was already leading me out of the train, leaving Harry and Draco alone in the train.

I hated when Harry acted like he was in charge of my fate. Whenever things got unstable in the slightest bit, there was Harry Potter to save my day. I despised it. I could save myself, thank you very much. Besides, Draco Malfoy couldn't scare me more than Filch could. He was just a sad, lonely school bully. Malfoy couldn't be villainous, no matter how badly mommy and daddy wanted him to be.

Still, I allowed Ron to walk me towards the school, an arm around my waist the entire time. I considered shrinking away from him and walking by myself, which I'd much prefer. But I could tell that Ron found some sort of comfort in walking along with me, so I just stayed in that position and walked quietly.

"You know, Hermione," Ron began and I braced myself for the worst. "Harry only is trying to put your best interests in mind. He blames himself for all the bad shit that has happened to us, all the damage that You Know Who has created. He wants to keep you safe."

"I'm quite aware, Ronald, but thanks for the recap." I retorted. I chose that as my moment to pull away from him and I walked a foot ahead of him at all times.

The Great Hall was buzzing, lively as ever when we entered. Mostly everyone had already arrived already, and we were the last people to get there aside from Harry and Malfoy. I sat at the Gryffindor table beside Ginny, and Ron sat across from me, staring at me worriedly the entire time. It was at least ten minutes until Malfoy walked in, followed shortly by Harry who's face was covered in blood. He took the seat beside Ron and we all began asking him all at once what happened. He glared over my shoulder, then looked me directly in the eye.

"Hermione, stay away from Malfoy. At all costs." He warned me.

I didn't dare question him on it. I simply nodded my head and stayed silent. But when I turned my head, I found Malfoy's eyes on me once again. As our gazes met, I expected him to turn away. He didn't. Instead, his lips turned up into a cool smirk.


	2. Astronomy

It had been nearly a week since the incident with Malfoy on the first day at Hogwarts. Initially, I had been bewildered at the fact that we hadn't crossed paths yet in the corridors on our way to classes. Though there were many students at Hogwarts, I never imagined that there were so many that I wouldn't see him at least once. It took me about two days to realize that it wasn't any coincidence.

"History of magic has really been picking up lately. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first because Professor Binns is completely archaic, not to mention unimaginably boring in his teaching," I babbled on as Ron, Harry and I walked towards the Great Hall for supper on the first Friday of term. "It seems to be smoothening out recently. Actually, I find it quite fascinating."

"Yeah, that's great, Hermione. Er, let's just take a shortcut to the Great Hall." Harry said suddenly, steering me down an adjoining corridor to the one that lead directly to the Great Hall. I looked over my shoulder at the main corridor to see Malfoy and his friends standing by a window a few feet down it.

"Wait a minute. You aren't actually purposely making me avoid him, are you?" I asked, as if I didn't already know the answer. Harry and Ron looked to one another sheepishly and I shook my head. "You two are unbelievable. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

I yanked my arms from their grasp and continued down the corridor I'd been walking down previously, Ron and Harry hot on my heels. As we passed Malfoy's group, they all looked at us.

Ron cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Malfoy." He received nothing but a curt nod in his direction by the white-blond haired boy as he faced me. I stopped in my tracks entirely.

"Evening, Granger."

"Hello Malfoy." I said quietly, losing every sense of courage I'd had moments earlier. His presence made me uneasy, in a way that I couldn't quite explain. In the five years leading up to this encounter, I hadn't thought much of our minimal conversations or blank eye contact. But this wasn't any regular interaction that had occurred between us before. Something was off, something had changed and I couldn't quite pinpoint it exactly. It made me incredibly anxious.

"How was your summer?" he asked, his eyes sparkling even in the dim evening lighting. My stomach clenched and my knees wobbled.

"Fine." I replied shortly. My limbs felt like they were on fire and I had absolutely no explanation for it other than that his eyes were ammunition and the curve of his lips made me breathless.

"Malfoy, what the fuck are you doing? She's a mudblood!" one of Malfoy's disgusting friends said and all except Malfoy began to laugh. He just looked at me and didn't say anything. I wished he would say something, even if it were a hideous insult that would make my blood boil in rage.

"Hermione, let's go." Harry said, the anger clear in his voice. I nodded, averting my eyes from Malfoy's as we walked away, the laughter echoing throughout the corridor long after we left them behind.

"Do you see why we can't trust that bastard?" Ron said. I cringed involuntarily at the rise in his voice. "He doesn't deserve shit, Hermione. Who the fuck does he think he is, pretending like you've been mates forever? Meanwhile his friends act like royal c-"

"Ronald!" I exclaimed, interrupting him in the middle of his rant. "I understand. Can we please not discuss it any further?" He nodded and I sighed in relief. I feared that if I spoke one more word of Draco Malfoy, my bones would turn to jelly and I'd collapse onto the floor. Not once had I ever felt like this, whatever this was. I wasn't entirely sure, but something inside me enjoyed this feeling, inexplicably so.

At supper, I sat in my regular seat with my regular group of friends with the regular conversation about new classes and upcoming Quidditch try-outs, and a small part of me couldn't help but wish I could be at the Slytherin table instead. I wondered if maybe Malfoy was back there, explaining the motives of his actions to his friends. The notion was unlikely; he didn't come off as a sharing sort of guy. Instead, I was sure he was sitting moodily, eating in silence – like I was – or possibly even laughing about me with everyone around him. I wasn't sure which of all the options I disliked most.

When it came time for dessert, I decided I wasn't hungry and stuck to my pumpkin juice, which was refilled when the plates switched from main course to dessert. I reached for my goblet and went to take a sip to find that it was lacking any liquid at all. Instead, in it's place, was a small note. Looking around cautiously, I took the note out and hid it beneath the table as I read.

_Meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight after curfew. _

_- M._

_M_, I thought, completely puzzled at the initial. I looked around the room, searching for who the sender might've been. McGonagall? Not possible. She didn't seem to be a note-writing sort of woman. I continued my search until my eyes settled on the Slytherin table. A set of eyes were fixed on me and my heart stopped beating for at least two full moments. M stood for Malfoy.

That night, I waited at least half an hour past curfew before I snuck out of my dormitory. Everything was far different in the castle at night, when all had gone to bed and no one was there to make noise. I knew that Harry had explored the school at night previously, sometimes just to get some peace and quiet. I understood why. The silence was intoxicating, how you could hear the echo of every step you made.

When I got to Astronomy Tower, Malfoy had not arrived. Either that, or this had been a set up the entire time to leave me up here alone and make me feel stupid. It didn't matter; I already felt stupid. How could I, Hermione Granger, be possessed to go up to the Astronomy Tower to meet _Draco Malfoy_, the boy I'd despised more than anything since I was twelve years old? The whole equation did not make any sense once so ever to me.

Feeling foolish, I suddenly turned around, hoping to head back to the Gryffindor house without anyone spotting me. As son as I turned around, I bumped directly into Malfoy, who was standing behind me. I jumped, startled and stared at him with what I could only assume were wild eyes.

"Did I frighten you, Granger?" he asked. Goosebumps traced my skin as a cool breeze rushed over me, as if his presence was creating chills. Like he were made of ice.

"N-no, n-not at all." I stammered. Malfoy chuckled under his breath.

"You are a terrible liar. Has anyone ever told you?" he wanted to know. I shook my head. "Well, let me be the first. You are a horrible liar."

"Gee, um, thanks," I said, blushing involuntarily. I straightened my back and narrowed my eyes, glaring at him. "So, what exactly is the purpose of me being here tonight?"

"Well, aren't you god damn rude? Didn't your muggle parents ever teach you any manners?" Malfoy snapped. I laughed forcefully.

"You are an absolute tosser, Draco Malfoy," I snarled. "Now, either you tell me why you wanted me to come up here, or I leave, like I've wanted to do since the moment I got here." It was a lie. I didn't want to leave. I was praying he would give me a reason to stay, only if for a little bit longer. I was completely trapped in his existence, something I never could've imagined.

"It's just," Malfoy began, punching his thigh a few times, seeming extraordinarily angry. I wondered why, hoping he was about to tell me. He paced back and forth a few times, groaning quietly. He looked over at me, his eyes seeming bluer than they normally were. "Forget it. It's not worth it. Run along to Weasley and Potter now."

"No, I'm here, you might as well tell me." I argued. I realized it entirely went against what I'd said just moments before but I didn't care. My curiosity was completely out of control. Malfoy looked at me for a moment then stepped toward me. He took another step, making him just a few inches away from me. I looked up at him like I was in a trance and he was controlling my every move. He lifted a hand to touch my waist. For a second, it looked like he was about to kiss me. For a second, I thought I might let him.

Then I snapped back to reality. "Oh my god, what in the hell?" I shrieked, stumbling backwards. It seemed like Malfoy was a bit surprised himself, as he stayed frozen in the same position he'd been when I was standing there. I adjusted my clothes and exhaled shakily. "You are out of your mind, Malfoy. Never come near me again." With that, I stormed out, my mind refusing to create a coherent thought until I reached the Gryffindor house. Once I was back in bed, the first thing I thought was Draco Malfoy. I wondered what would've happened if I had stayed. I wished it had happened.


	3. Cynosure

"Hermione?" a voice asked me as I stared thoughtlessly out the window looking onto the courtyard of the Hogwarts castle, a few days before Halloween. As the voice drew me back into reality, I realized it was Luna Lovegood, staring at me with her wide grey eyes. "You seem very distant today."

"Hm? Oh, Luna, I'm so sorry! I've just been so busy with schoolwork and I've been doing a lot of extra reading lately, so I've been up late at the library every night." I exclaimed, feeling incredibly horrible. Luna smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Don't worry, I don't take offense from it. I too daydream often," she said in her light fairylike voice. I stared down at my lap and I could feel Luna's eyes on me the entire time. "So, who is he?"

"Sorry?" I asked, whipping my head up quickly to look her in the eye. "Whom are you talking about?"

"The boy you are thinking about." My face must have shown my surprise because Luna giggled. "I can sense it, Hermione. I can see it in your eyes."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't have time for boys, at least not in that way, Luna." I reassured her. The expression on her face told me she knew that I was lying before she even said it aloud.

"Ron and Harry are worried about you. They say you've barely been around lately, and when you are, you're extremely silent. I know that I don't have a lot of experience in this situation, Hermione, but I do have a knack for noticing these things." Luna reminded me. She was right; I was conscious of the fact that Luna could see things other people couldn't. She could read anyone without difficulty. At this particular moment, I wished she couldn't.

"Noticing what things?" Ginny asked, approaching us and plopping down on the bench beside us. Her robes were undone and her hair seemed slightly disheveled.

"Nothing." I answered quickly.

"We were just discussing the boy that Hermione is falling in love with." Luna piped up and I felt my pulse speed up.

Ginny's jaw dropped and she smacked my arm excitedly. "Shut the fuck up! You're falling in love?"

"No, no, shut up. I am not falling in love." I insisted. I felt sick to my stomach at once. Love? I had never been in love before, and I certainly was not in love now. Not with Draco Malfoy. A vile human like him could never steal my heart. And what would even possess me to even _consider_ the possibility of it? He had looked my way once or twice, probably with the intentions of simply driving me mad so that he could laugh about it behind my back.

"Yes, yes you are! Oh Merlin, Hermione Granger is falling in love. With who?" Ginny shrieked. My heart was beating in double time and I couldn't form a coherent string of words.

"I reckon it might be someone quite unexpected. That's why she won't tell us." Luna guessed, thoughtfully.

"Is it McLaggen?" Ginny whisper-shouted. I opened my mouth to respond and as I was about to say 'no', Malfoy turned into the corridor, his eyes meeting mine.

"Yes. Yes, it is McLaggen." I lied, still looking at Malfoy. He seemed nervous to be walking by me and I wanted to know why more than anything. For a moment, I considered excusing myself to secretly follow and ask him what he was doing to me.

"This is brilliant, Mione! Oh, I knew you were interested in him, even though my dumbass brother insisted otherwise. McLaggen is well fit, not to mention he's a year above you," Ginny rambled on as Malfoy passed by. Under the shade of my eyelashes, I kept a wary eye on him as he went, his robes brushing along his sides with every step. The air turned icy as he came close to me, and I could have sworn I felt his fingers lightly graze my back. "Oh! I could help you speak with him if you'd like."

"Um, no, Ginny, that won't be necessary. It's just a little crush, I'm not very sure of it entirely. I'll let you know if I need your help though." I informed her. I lowered my head, letting my hair cover my face so that I could peak over in Malfoy's direction. I watched him turn the corner and I sat up straight to see Ginny and Luna staring at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, I must seem like such a bore. I'm not feeling all that well, I reckon I'm going to head back to my dormitory now." I announced.

"Oh, Hermione, you should go visit Madame Pomfrey. It might be serious." Luna worried. I shook my head, collecting my books as I stood up.

"That won't be necessary. Please don't worry, I'm just feeling rather tired today. I will be completely back to normal, after I get some rest. Have a great night though, you two." I said, giving them a small wave. They returned the wave, telling me how they wished I would feel better even though in reality, I wasn't feeling unwell at all.


End file.
